MV Kerlogue

The MV [MV is an abbreviation of Motor Vessel or Merchant vessel] "Kerlogue" has become the exemplar of neutral Irish ships during World War Two. She was very small. She was attacked by both sides and rescued both sides. She was almost sunk by a German mine and was dive-bombed by the RAF, being left for dead. She rescued the "Wild Rose of Liverpool" and the survivors of the German destroyer "Z27" and its escort.In the post-war period, this last rescue was rarely mentioned; until 27 April 1994, when Senator Dick Roche spoke of his father’s role:

“... My late father was a seaman with the Wexford Steamship Company. He served the nation, like so many young men, through dangerous times in the war years. In every sense he and his colleagues put their lives on the line day after day, in ships which today would not be licensed to go on the high seas, to bring supplies to this nation. Many of his colleagues and friends and many people from Wexford and around the coast paid the ultimate price in serving this nation by losing their lives. The ships were so rickety, old and derelict that we would not go to sea in them today. Yet, these brave, perhaps foolhardy, men crossed the Atlantic, went to the Mediterranean and North African coast and kept Ireland supplied with vital provisions. My father's ship, the "Kerlogue", was involved in one of the great rescues of the war. One of the proudest possessions I have is a decoration awarded to him and other members of the crew for rescuing German sailors in the Bay of Biscay in December 1943, when they hauled hundreds of young men from the water and carried them, under threat from the RAF and the Royal Navy, to safety in Cork. This ship was rewarded for its humanitarian efforts when, on its next voyage, it was blown out of the water by the RAF, in spite of the fact that the word “Éire” stood convert|12|ft|m high on the port and the starboard, the Tricolour was blazoned across the ship and it was lit from stem to stern. ... ” [ Oireachtas Debates, Seanad Éireann 27 April, 1994 http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/S/0140/S.0140.199404270004.html]

Background

Coasters

Transport within Ireland was very difficult in the aftermath of the Anglo-Irish War and the subsequent Civil War. The road network had been neglected since prior to the Great War. Vital railway bridges had been blown-up by anti-treaty forces during the civil war. Canals had been neglected and were no longer navigable. It was therefore, often, faster and more economic to transport goods around the coast. Coasters fulfilled this need, in addition to the cross-channel trade with Great Britain. The M.V. "Kerlogue" was such a coaster.

World War II

At the outbreak of World War II Ireland found itself with an inadequate number of ships. The number of ships had been declining, from 127 in 1923 to 56 in September 1939. Most of Ireland’s international trade was carried on British Flagged vessels; with the outbreak of the war, most of these were no longer available. The United States ordered its ships not to enter the ‘war zone’. Irish bound cargos were brought as far as Portugal. Ships, such as the "Kerlogue" found themselves on voyages for which they were not intended.

MV Kerlogue

The MV "Kerlogue" was built in Rotterdam, Holland in September 1939, just prior to the outbreak of the war. She was convert|142|ft|m long and displaced 335 tons. At that, her freeboard (height of deck above sea level) was just one foot. She had a crew of eleven. Like other Irish ships, the word EIRE and the tricolour were painted large on her sides and deck.

"Wild Rose" of Liverpool

On 2 April 1941 a British convoy was attacked by German bombers. Distress rockets were seen by the Kerlogue which altered course to assist. A burning oil tanker, without survivors, and a crippled collier, the "Wild Rose" of Liverpool, were found. The collier was slowly sinking; had no power and her lifeboats had been destroyed by the bombing. The "Kerlogue" took the larger "Wild Rose" in tow and rescued the crew of thirteen. The "Wild Rose" was beached on Rosslare Strand and salvaged.

RAF Mosquito planes

On 23 October 1943, convert|130|mi|km south of Ireland, with a cargo of coal, the Kerlogue was circled by an RAF Sunderland flying boat. Three hours later, two Mosquito planes attacked. For twenty minutes they repeatedly dived on the Kerlogue firing their cannons. Another Sunderland came. By aldis lamp, the Kerlogue requested an escort and medical assistance. The Sunderland replied that it could not be given. [From records released under the thirty-year rule:
* Flight-Lieutenant K Sampson RAAF: "12:55, Sighted Eire merchant vessel Kerlogue in 50°03' north, 9°16' west. On course 240° at convert|8|kn|km/h."
* Two Mosquito planes, X and S, of 307 Polish Squadron: "16:17, 48°55' north, 9°13' west. Sighted and attacked with cannon 1,500 ton merchant vessel flying French flag and word EMPO clearly discerned on starboard side - the word France also on her bows. The vessel, which returned fire with cannon without effect, was left circling with smoke issuing from it. Also a quantity of oil was seen surrounding the vessel and drifting away.":(the unarmed "Kerlogue" was 335 gross tons, not 1,500)
* Flying Officer C Clark RAAF: "18:05, Eire merchant vessel Kerlogue sighted in 49°49' north 9°11' west, steering 315° true at convert|5|kn|km/h. Circled merchant vessel, she flashed SOS and requested L to escort them as they had been attacked by aircraft and needed medical assistance for injured crew. Aircraft replied that escort could not be given and patrol was resumed"] The Kerlogue limped back to Cobh. When her cargo of coal was discharged, shell fragments of British origin were found. It was that cargo of coal which saved the Kerlogue, without it, the shells would have penetrated her hull.

Captain Desmond Fortune, who would never walk unaided again, was succeeded by Captain Thomas Donohue. He had been captain of "The Lady Belle" of Waterford when she was bombed by the Luftwaffe. He spent eight hours in a lifeboat mid-Atlantic when the "U-607" torpedoed the Irish Oak.

"Z27, T25" and "T26"

On 29 December 1943 the "Kerlogue", convert|360|mi|km south of Fastnet Rock, with a cargo of oranges, was circled by a German long range reconnaissance aircraft signalling ‘SOS’ and heading southeast. The Kerlogue altered course to southeast. She came upon an appalling scene. The "Narvik" class destroyer "Z27" and two "Elbing" class torpedo boats, "T25" and "T26", had been sunk. More than 700 men, most of them dead, were in the water. The Germans had intended to escort " Alsterufer", a blockade runner. The British knew the German positions; the cruisers HMS "Glasgow" and HMS "Enterprise" with convert|6|in|mm|sing=on guns sank the German ships while beyond their range of fire

The "Kerlogue" spent ten hours plucking survivors from the water. 168 were rescued. Four died on board. This was remarkable, given that the Kerlogue was only convert|142|ft|m long. The cargo of oranges saved the rescued from dehydration. Captain Fortune ignored the German request to bring them to Brest or La Rochelle. He ignored radio orders from Land’s End radio to go to Fishguard. He berthed at Cobh on 1 January 1941.

Aftermath

The rescued Germans remained at the Curragh internment camp until the war was over. The German Ambassador expressed his thanks:

“…To you and your crew my profound gratitude as well as my high appreciation of unhesitating valiant spirit which has prompted you to perform this exemplary deed, worthy of the great tradition of Irish gallantry and humanity...”

On 27 May 1994 the German Navy expressed its thanks in a ceremony at the Old Mariners’ Church attended by President Mary Robinson. Some sketches of the rescue, drawn while in the Curragh were presented and remain on display.The Kerlogue was sold to Norway in 1957 and was wrecked off Tromsø in 1960.There is an annual commemoration in Dublin on the third Sunday of November for those who died on Irish ships during the war. On the third Sunday every May, in Belfast an annual commemoration for seafarers is held.

References and sources

* Forde, Frank. "The Long Watch" (New Island Books) 1981, reprinted 2000. ISBN 1 902602 42 0
* Duggan, John P. "Herr Hempel at the German Legation in Dublin 1937 – 1945" (Irish Academic Press) 2003 ISBN 0-7165-2746-4
* http://www.irishecho.com/newspaper/story.cfm?id=15828
* http://www.thewildgeese.com/pages/kerlogue.html
* http://www.thewildgeese.com/pages/kerlogu2.html

ee also

* Operation Stonewall
* The Emergency (Ireland)
* Irish neutrality during World War II
* No. 307 Polish Night Fighter Squadron